Synthetic harmonogram-producer.



M. L. SEVERY. SYNTHETIC HARMONOGRAM PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB|25 1910- 1.,201513, Patented Oct.- 17, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- M. L. SEVERY. SYNTHETIC HARMONOGRAM PRODUCER.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB- 25 I910- 1,201,513. Patented Oct. 17,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET}- Zn venfm, Melvin L. Sewage y,-

MELVIN L. SEVERY, OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

SYNTHETIC HARMONOGRAM-PRODUCER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, MELVIN L. SEVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington Heights,'in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth. of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Synthetic Harmonogram-Producers, of which the following is a specifi- ,cfation.

'The object of this invention is the construction of means for syntheticallypro- "du'cing and graphically recording the resultants of sound waves of various pitches and timbres; means for the reproduction thereof in audible tones being set forth .and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 756,169.

This mechamsm is not designed for the production of graphic representations of sound Waves through devices operated by the sound waves themselves, but for the mechanical production of the graphic representations of simple and complex sounds. In other words, the invention is for the purpose of devising a machine which will inscribe a resultant line graphically representing a given sound, the machine comprising a plurality of moving members acting together for such purpose, and said members being made adjustable in their actions in order to form any desired variety of resultant lines.

To this end, I have herein set forth two main types of the harmonogram producer embodying my invention, one thereof being entirely mechanical, .and the other fluomechanical.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specificatiomFigure 1 is a plan view of my mechanical harmonogram producer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my fluo-mechanical form of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inscriber portion of my device showing the same arranged for inscribing a resultant upon a' thin disk. Fig. 4 is an illustrative view of a reproducer which can be employed for the audible'reproduction of tones from the synthetically constructed form-waves. Fig. 5 is a view of another means for converting the rotary motion of the driveshaft into reciprocation required for the plungers of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed February 25, 1910. Serial No. 545,985.

the fluo-mecha-nical harmonogram producer.

Fig. 6 is still another form of such means. Examinin F1 '1 first the reference numeral 1 designates a shaft uniformly rotatedby any suitable means, as power belted to the drive .wheel 2, and having mounted thereon a plurality of worms 3, 3 3*, 3, etc. Although four such worms are illustrated, the number may be considerably increased, and, in fact, the machines would usually have many more.

The worms 3, 3 and 3 are slidably carried by said shaft, a spline and groove 4 causing them to turn with the shaft. Surrounding each of the last named Worms is alight frame 5 supported on suitable ways 6, and transversely mounted in each of said frames is a shaft 7. having a face plate 8 at each end thereof. On each face plate is a pin or screw 9 from which a pitman 10 extends to a shaft 7, beginning with'the face plates connected with the left hand shaft,

and the last pitman uniting and carrying a marker or graver .11 bearing upon the surface of a uniformly rotated drum 12.

Said drum 12 is mounted on a shaft separate from, but preferably geared to, the shaft 1, in order that it shall rotate at a speed bearing a definite ratio to, but preferably slower than, the speed of said shaft 1. Such a gearing is illustrated in Fig. 2 for the drum 28. Usually the drum 12 does not require to make more than a single complete revol11- ,tion for the desired inscription of the resultant line-14, while during the same time the shaft has made many. revolutions; after which the paper carrying the harmonogram 14 thus produced, may be removed from the drum 12, and another paper applied thereto.

On each shaft} is a worm gear 13 meshing with the worm above it and rotated thereby. Hence the resultant to be inscribed by the marker or graver 11 on the paper, wax or metal surface of the drum 12, will be a zigzag line 14 embodying a representation of the total of all the throws of the pins or screws 9, some advancing while others are retreating, some remaining stationary as regards throw, and some short and others long throw.

To accuratel y represent the resultant 'of a complex musical note, the pitches of the times as fast as the first; the fourth, four times as fast and soon. The curve given by the first shafts pitman' on the drumwould therefore represent the fundamental of a certain musical note. The second shafts pitman would add a first harmonic to the curve; the third, a second harmonic, and

so on.

By varying the throws of the pins or screws 9, the relative dominance of the .various harmonics can be changed as desired; and by locating any such pair of screws or pins at the axial center of their shaft, their throw will be made zero, and the harmonic represented thereby will be eliminated from the resultant. The face plates being-held by set screws 32 permit change of phase.

' In the construction illustrated by Fig. 2, there are shown four shafts 15- but whichnumber can be indefinitely extended,

each having a face plate 16 from which runs apitman' 17 to a plunger rod 18. Each said plunger rod carries a piston-19 at its lower end fitting within a cylinder 20; such cylinders being connected to a larger cylinder 21, asby the pipe 22. In

' the cylinder 21 is a plunger'23 from which rises a rod 24 joined by a link or links 25 to an elbow or elbows 26 carrying markers or gravers 27 the latter being adapted to mark or engrave a suitably prepared surface on the drum 28. Said cylinders being provided with a suitable fluid, the effects of any movements communicated to the plunger rods 18 will be immediatelycommunicated to the plunger rod 24, and thence in that proportion graphically imparted to the drum.

i The speeds of the shafts 15 being made relatively one, two, three, .four, etc., as

by the sprocket chains and sprocket wheels 30, '31, the first piston will represent the fundamental; the second, the first harmonic; the third, the second harmonic, etc., of any musical note. B varying the throws of. the different pitmen, the effects ofthe harmonics can be-correspondingly altered on the drum; and by angularly changing the face plates on their shafts,

and consequently the phase of the harmonics,

as by the set screws 32, otherchanges in the resultant curves can be readily secured.

In 'Fig. 2 theface plates or disks 16 are I represented as radially slotted, and the sev;

eral crank-pins or studs are represented as passing through such slots. Usual means of securing the pinsat any adjustment being' provided, it will be seen that they may be placedat any point in the length'of the v slots, thus; permitting adjustmentby infinitesimal increments, and enabling the user to secure a nicety or perfection of adjust i of fixed points of adjustment, but permits also of so shading or varying the adjustment as to get effects intermediate those incident 7 to step-by-step adjustment.

By wrapping thedrum 28 with a ribbon of sheet iron or other magnetically attractive substance; inscribing thereon as above set forth a double resultant timbre-curve, and then cutting away the metal outside such curves, such embodied resultant can be placed upon the reproducer illustrated by Fig. 4,

and the nature thereof made audibly evident.

Such ribbons may be made by agreat variety of methods all adaptableto this device. The form of reproducer illustrated in Fig.

4 consists ofa uniformly rotated drum 35',

an open magnetic circuit electromagnet 36, a sourceof current37 in circu t with one receiver 38' in circuit with the other arm of said electromagnet. The poles of this electromagnet are, as shown in thedrawing, arranged far enough apart to permit the widest sections of theiron harmonogram 39 to freely pass between them. As said drum 35 arm ofsaid electromagnet, and a telephone 7 revolves, and the harmonogram passes between the polesof the electromagnet, the changes in magnetic flux thereby caused are delivered to the telephone receiver 38 and by the latter rendered audibly evident. Instead of thus inscribing the harmonogram uponthe face of a drum, it may be traced upon the lateral faceof a thin disk, and then such disk shaped thereto for use in a reproducer of the type set forth in my companion application. A disk being thus inscribed is shown in Fig. 3, where 40 designates the disk having an inscriber 27 contacting therewith.

In order to so adjust the liquid contents of'the harmonogram producer shown in Fig. 2 that the inscriber shall be at the proper point when the main piston is at zero, I provide arr-auxiliary cylinder 41 having a forcibly adjustable piston 42 therein; such adjustmentbeing preferably by having the piston rod threaded and turning in a correspondingly threaded cap 43 held by the cylinder,

into reciprocation of the pistons and marker,

I do not restrict myself thereto, inasmuch as cams may be substituted therefor, as shown in Fig. 5, or a rod-head 46 with a transverse slot 47 may be used in place of the pitman, as shown in Fig. 6. In some ways, the cam and transverse slot A7 are preferable to a pitman, because of the nearer approach to a sine wave which may be given by them.

In the device shown in Fig. 2, I have illustrated pistons moved by plunger'rods, and have shown the fluids in the cylinders at a variety of heights, but I do not confine myself to this construction of my fluo-mechanical wave-writer. It is obvious that the pistons of Fig. 2 might .be replaced byloosely fitting displacement plugs 19', and the whole system operated by displacement changes of the levelof the fluid in the cylinders, and in many cases I should prefer this construction. See Fig. 6'.

Furthermore, I wish it understood that the sizes and proportions shown may be varied at will without in the least departing from the spirit of the invention. In some cases, I prefer to make the tubes or cylindei's representing the various harmonics smaller as the number of the harmonic rises; forv the reason that usually the higher har monies are fainter than the lower ones, and this plan would call for less radical adjustment elsewhere. The displacement prin ciple, while it necessitates slower action, avoids all difficulty of piston leakage and friction.

In the drawings, the inscriber or tracing point moves with the resultant motion and the surface, upon which the record is made, also. moves. It is obvious that all that is needed is correct relative motion between inscriber and recording surface, and all of these motions might be given" to the inscriber without departing from the spirit of my'invention. I prefer, however, to move the inscriber in accordance with the harmonic resultants, and to move the recording surface as I have shown in the drawings.

It should be remembered that the mechanisms illustrated by Figs. '1 and 2 are not for the production of music directly, or for the production of wave-lines from musical tones, but they are for the purpose of enabling such wave-lines to be inscribed through wholly mechanical or fluo-mechani cal means, the wave-lines or harmonograms serving as graphic illustrations of complex musical tones; or as a basis for a later reproduction of actual musical tones.

v trolled thereby; steadily-moved'means hav- What I'claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is as'follows, to wit .1:- A harmonogram producer, comprising a movable element; inscribing means coning a surface acted upon by said insc'ribing means; any desired-number of different 1nstrumentahties COI1]01I1tly affecting said movable element; and adjusting means for each of said 'instrumentalities, capable of affording infinitesimal variations in the position and consequent effect of each, in contradistinction to a step-by-step adjustment.

2. A harmonogram producer, comprising a steadily moving support for a body'to be inscribed; a fluid-container; a fluid therein; an inscribing device; a plurality of different but operatively connected instrumentalities acting upon the fluid in said container and serving by their conjoint action thereon to move and position the inscribing device relatively to the moving support and connections between the several parts whereby they are positively driven in proper timeclrelation.

3. A harmonogram producer, comprising a steadily moving support for a body to be inscribed; a fluid-container; a fluid therein;

an inscribing device; a plurality of different but operatively connected instrume-ntalities acting different but predetermineddegrees upon the fluid in said container and 7 serving by their conjoint action thereon to move and position the lnscribmg device relatively to the moving support; and connections between the several parts whereby they are positively driven in proper timed relation:

4". A harmonogram producer, comprising a fluid-container; a fluid therein; inscribing means subject to and movableby pressure of said fluid; a steadily moving support for a surface to be inscribed; a plurality of separate pressure devices operatively connected to move at different but predetermined rates and each acting upon the fluid; and driving connections between the several parts, serving to move them in proper timed relation, whereby the inscriber 1s caused tomove relatively to the moving support and to the body to be inscribed, in accordance with the combined action of the pressure devices.

5. A harmonogram producer comprising a plurality of cylinders communicating with each other, pistons fitted to the same, an inscriber connected with one of the pistons, and means for simultaneously moving some of the. other pistons in some predetermined manner.

6. A harmonogram producer comprising a plurality of cylinders communicating with each other, pistons fitted to the same, an insscriber connected with one of the pistons, a

moving surface in contact with said in-' unit 'of time.

7. A harmonogram producer comprisinga plurality of cylinders communicating with each other, pistons fitted to the same, an in scriber connected with one of said pistons, a moving surface in contact with said inscriber, and harmonically rotated displacement members reciprocating said pistons.

8. A harmonogram producer comprising a plurality of cylinders communicating with each other, pistons fitted to the same, an in- 10 scr'iber connected with one of said pistons, a second of said pistons being forcibly adjustable, means for simultaneously reciprocating the other pistons, and a moving sur-' face contacting with said inscriber.

9. In a harmonogram producer, the combination of a reciprocatingmember, a pair of pivoted bell-crank levers havin -inscribing means at an end of each,- connections between said member and levers, and a moving ";surface in contact with said inscribing "means.

- '10. A harmonogram producer comprising,

combination, a uniformly moving surface; a pair of inscribers for marking said 'ts'urface; a plurallty of movable elements;

means for moving said elements simultaneously but unequally; and means interposed between said movable elements and the inscribers, whereby the latter are given reciprocating inovments which are the resultant of the movements of the several movable elements.

11. A harmonogram producer comprising, in combination, a plurality of movable members; means for positively moving said members, each at a definite rate diiferent from that of the others; a recording device comprising a moving record-receiving surface and an'inscriber; and a fluid medium interposed between the movable members and the inscriber, and serving to impart to the latter the resultant of the movements of the several moving members.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my handthis' 27th day of January, 1910.

MELVIN L. SEVERY. Witnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, CHARLES GABmsoN, 

